She is on his heels and wants him
convicted for fraudulently obtaining GH¢51.2 million after his acquittal
and discharge at the Fast Track High Court on March 12, 2015.
That is why the Attorney General has gone to the Court of Appeal seeking that the judgement freeing him be overturned.
Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome is calling for the resignation of
the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew-Appiah
Opong, on the ground that a company her former firm represented had got
$1 million from the judgement debt he received.
But the Attorney-General, in a sharp rebuttal, has denied the claim
and said “the $1 million he is referring to was money he borrowed from
Mr Ray Smith in 2008. He was not paying back and Mr Smith pursued him to
pay back”.
A statement of claim attached to the writ of summons issued on behalf
of Mr Smith had prayed the High Court to order Woyome to pay back the
$982,929.53 he took from Mr Smith.
“I never personally fought against Woyome. It was my former partner,
Mr Tony Lithur, who handled cases against him in the past. He is up to
nothing but mischief but I wish to assure Ghanaians that I will use my
good office to pursue justice. Justice is all I seek for Ghanaians and
nothing will deter me,” Mrs Appiah-Opong pointed out.
Woyome’s letter
A letter dated March 13, 2015 and signed by Woyome and addressed to
Mrs Appiah-Opong accused her of being biased and out to get at him at
all cost.
“In as much as I am not against the decision of the State to appeal, I
am particularly against your conduct and public utterances during the
trial and after the judgement,” the letter, which was also addressed to
the Secretary to the President and the Chief of Staff, noted.
Interestingly, the letter was dated the day he was served with the notice of appeal.
“‘This case has travelled approximately three and half years and you
have all the opportunity to prove any case against my person; more so as
you know that the default judgement was negotiated between myself and
then Attorney-General, together with officials of the Presidency, with
the knowledge of then Chief of Staff who was copied with every
correspondence,” it said.
Austro-Invest
While accusing the Attorney-General’s legal firm, Lithur Brew and
Co., Woyome stated that the firm’s client, Austro-Invest, benefitted
from the judgement debt and for that reason “I find it difficult to
reconcile your decision to involve yourself directly in this criminal
case and notice of appeal you have authorised to be issued and served on
me. It is a fact that you and your clients received approximately one
million dollars equivalent from the said judgement debt you now so much
criminalised and want me jailed for”.
Dishonest letter
Describing Woyome’s letter as rambling, dishonest, unnecessary and a
move to throw dust in the eyes of Ghanaians, Mrs Appiah-Opong denied his
claims.
“If Woyome is confident that the appeal will fail, why does he not
save his breath for the Court of Appeal where three Law Lords will
determine the merit of the appeal?
“I have the full support of His Excellency the President to pursue
the appeal as expeditiously as possible and I intend to do so.
“I swore an oath to protect the public purse that is what I have done
since I came into office and I will continue to do so,” she stated.
“Furthermore, while in private practice I never handled the matters
referred to in his letter. In any case, the money had nothing to do with
the judgement debt paid him.
“He is being dishonest with the public and he must be treated with the contempt he deserves,” she added.
She warned Woyome to desist from playing with the mind of the public
and prepare to justify why the judgement should not be overturned.
Message to the media
Turning to the media, the Attorney-General advised them to desist from spreading the falsehood being peddled by
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